For as long as fishermen have fished from the shoreline, there has been a need to secure a fishing pole without physical contact by the fisherman during the act of fishing. A majority of present-day fishermen fish from the shore, due to the expense of fishing from a boat. Of those, a majority share a need or desire to secure their fishing pole unattended, by way of what ever means possible, “Y” shaped sticks, bushes or other rudimentary methods, with varying degrees of success, all the while trying to elevate the fishing poles tip. This is supported by the amount of patents issued for fishing pole holders. There are currently over two hundred and fifty patents for pole holders and of those over one hundred fifty are designated for fishing poles. Yet there are only a handful of shoreline fishing pole holders currently in the market place. Of those available, some use components of prior art patented devices.
Padilla, dated Jan. 26, 1993, uses a series of coils to support the aft handle of the fishing pole. One device on the market uses a series of coils to secure the aft handle of the fishing pole but uses material from the last coil to form a straight ground penetrating shaft. Padilla's uses a portion of the coils bent at a 90 degree angle, attach to a shaft, that enters the ground. This design however does not provide forward handle support and has limited available fishing pole angle.
Behrle, dated Oct. 31, 1989, used a formed material, “U” shaped for support of the forward handle of the fishing pole and an upside down “U” shape for the aft handle of the fishing pole. A similar device on the market uses the same frame principle with a ground penetrating shaft from the upside down “U”. This design relays on balance to keep the fishing pole secured, preventing elevated angle for the fishing poles tip.
Terrill, dated Apr. 14, 1987, also used a similar frame as Behrle's with an auger type distal ground penetrating apparatus. Terrill's design also prevents an elevated angle for the fishing poles tip.
Culp, dated Aug. 9, 1983, Culp's design uses a wire box arrangement. It provides enclosed support for the aft handle and a cradle to support the forward handle/backbone with a pointed ground penetrating shaft. This design also provides limited tip elevation and appears bulky and cumbersome.
Another design on the market relies on fishing pole handle ground contact. An “M” shaped design with the two outside ends entering the ground, the center of the “M”, the “V” to cradle the backbone of the pole leaving the handle to rest on the ground. Similar features can be found in Newton's, et al., dated May 15, 1990 and Beachel, dated Feb. 6, 1996.
A common feature of many shoreline fishing pole holders is that of a sharpened ground penetrating shaft, Ibarra, dated Dec. 10, 2002, Huff, dated Dec. 1, 1998, Lippstock, dated Dec. 14, 1993, Ewald, dated Sep. 19, 1989, Campbell date Jun. 7, 1988. A sharpened ground penetrating shaft/distal can be very dangerous and not really necessary. Many children enjoy fishing along shorelines and a sharpened shaft should be of great concern. With the present invention it was found simply pushing a blunt distal, penetrated a non-impervious surface easier than first thought.
Preiss, dated Apr. 27, 2004. This design has many correct aspects. A hoop to secure the aft handle, an arm to a formed “U” shape for support of the forward handle. This ornamental design has two base figures, a triangle as shown in FIG. 1 through 7 and a ground penetrating shaft, FIG. 8 through 14. A bent formation is detailed in the ground penetrating shaft for what appears to be a stop to prevent the holder from tipping over, a ground insertion aid or a device to prevent rotation of the holder? Although, do to a lack of detail, it appears the ground penetrating shaft is very short and not conducive to secure that of an active fishing pole. The angle of the arm is also suspect to provide a proper elevated angle for the fishing poles tip. The design also uses just one side for the ground penetrating shaft and the arm, which brings its balance to issue for stability.
Fishing poles and associated equipment range in price, most operators take great care of their investment and expect quality products to protect their investments. There are a very limited amount of shoreline fishing pole holders presently on the market and none really provide the performance expected, some relying on fishing pole ground contact. Current holders in the market place also don't provide steep enough pole angles conducive to the flexibility of the fishing poles for maximum efficiency. Flexibility of a fishing pole is paramount, this is the only way of relieving stresses on the actual fishing line.